Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Jun 30

Summer Showers (June 30, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

It has been a rainy week. That’s never a good sign for my mood. There’s also been some worry on my part as a previously scheduled stress test drew near. Those tests were never good news for my Dad and I feared that I was going to face similar results. Thankfully, good reports came back from the cardiologist this afternoon — so hopefully that will mean I will find my reading bug again that has been on the fritz for the past few days.

What I Finished This Week

The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram. I absolutely loved this novel! I mowed through this book in just 4 days because I simply could not put it down. The story centers on Tess and Grant. The two met as teenagers in a palatial Virginia town. Despite living in opposite worlds, the two quickly develop a strong bond and ultimately fall in love. Their worlds are shattered as monumental events drive them apart and they are forced to bury family secrets from a watchful society. The story fast forwards 25 years when Tess and Grant are reunited. Both happily married, they are now opposing candidates for the Virginia Governor’s mansion. When an anonymous email arrives, their long-hidden secrets threaten to be exposed — and these revelations have the potential to destroy their political careers, their reputations, and their families. Ingram gives the reader an exciting exploration of damaging effects of secrets, the importance of communication, and strains placed on all of our relationships when we fail to be transparent with those most important to us. 5 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence (p. 150 of 333). Talk about a classic novel that has gotten a bad rap! D.H. Lawrence is not an author that was discussed in many of my literature classes; when we was mentioned, we talked about the scandalous topics of his books and the challenges he faced in getting his books published. I decided this would be an interesting book to read as a pairing with The Summer We Ran and I have not been disappointed thus far. Lawrence created enthralling characters that beautiful explore his ideas about sexuality and women’s place in society. Just at the halfway point of the novel, Connie’s relationship with the keeper has begun. To this point, I wouldn’t classify the book as scandalous; I found the premise intriguing and worthy of consideration. I’ll need to finish the book this week before knowing exactly what I think about Connie and Clifford’s marriage and their journey.

June in Review

June was a better reading month than May overall despite continued travel and learning to read while the Geriatrics are home. Perhaps even better news for me personally is that this month has also seen Mom once again pick up a book and resume her reading journey. I think that it is so important as she continues to age that she nurture her mind and keeps her reading skills sharp.

Here’s a look at how the numbers broke down for the month of June, 2025.

  • Books read in June: 4 books (up 1 from May)
    • 2 physical books
    • 1 ebook
    • 1 audio book
    • 3 fiction
    • 1 non-fiction
  • Pages read in June: 1,317 pages (up 68 pages from May)
  • Highest rated book: The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram (5 stars)
  • Lowest rated book: The Modern Guide to Time Mastery: Focus, Flow & Freedom by Morgan Ellis Stone (1 star)

Uncategorized

Leave a comment »
Jun 23

Summer Heat Wave (June 22, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

It has been a rather warm week in the Geriatric Ward and the forecast does not suggest much relief in the foreseeable future. What has that meant for me? Plenty of time to read as long as I find the quiet spots in the house before the patients take them over and blare every television in the place!

What I Finished This Week

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. It was 947 pages. It took almost a month of my life to get through this first #BigBookSummer read and I thoroughly loved it. This is the second volume in Gabaldon’s Outlander series. While I’m not normally one who enjoys time travel in my fiction, Gabaldon’s characters are so beautifully crafted that I can accept the impossible and focus on the amazing story. Dragonfly has a bit of something for everyone. There’s romance, magic, political intrigue, and thrills around every corner. I was a little concerned that I would not remember much of the storyline coming back to the series after a year away from Claire and Jaime’s story, but I was sucked back in quickly. Gabaldon gives enough backstory to events to trigger the reader’s memory when necessary without feeling as though you are re-reading past events. Because of their size, I am planning to read one of these books each summer. Was it a perfect read? No….there were times that I found things getting sluggish and I simply wanted to move on. But overall, this was another outstanding read. There are trigger warnings to consider for domestic violence, miscarriages, and war. 4 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram (p. 106 of 321). After Dragonfly in Amber, I needed something different and not so massive. I decided to take a detour from my plan and dive into the recently published book I had received from The Book of the Month Club. The Summer We Ran follows Tess, the Democratic candidate for the governor of Virginia. She was raised by a single mother who worked for powerful people in Virginian society in the 1990s. Tess’ opponent in the gubernatorial race is Grant, a man who has lived a privileged life in DC society. Tess and Grant share a secret past that they are keeping from their families, their constituents, and their staff. When the truth ultimately comes out, it promises to be destructive and life-changing. Written in an alternating timeline, Ingram is revealing events in the summer of 1996 and then showing how it is impacting both Tess and Grant in their current lives. This is proving to be a fast-paced page turner that I simply don’t want to put down. The Summer We Ran will fulfill the prompt for a book published in 2025 for The 52 Book Club 2025 challenge.

2025 Reading Challenge Big Book Summer Book of the Month The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
Jun 16

The Sound of 880 Piano Keys All At Once (June 16, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

I have returned from the Texas Music Teachers’ Convention in Houston and lived to tell the tale! I was there to staff the Wayland booth in the exhibit hall — talking to teachers, alumni, and potential students about our programs. Held in the Hyatt Downtown, the exhibit hall was on the bottom floor on Friday and Saturday. Vendors from all over were in the hall. Our booth sat just across the aisle from the piano vendors — who had about 10 pianos on the floor to be played throughout the day. I’m not talking about digital instruments or consoles. No….these were grand pianos with their lids fully opened! What do 10 large pianos sound like when they are all playing different pieces at the same time? Imagine 20 toddlers in your kitchen floor with wooden spoons that they are banging on large metal pans. Yeah….it was a hot mess!

I planned to spend my time on the exhibit floor reading. That didn’t happen at all. I did manage to make a little progress once I retired to my room on the top floor of the hotel, but my head wasn’t going to cooperate too long in my effort to concentrate on the story.

What I Finished This Week

…..I had to at least make you look.

What I’m Currently Reading

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 672 of 947). Most of the 150+ pages I read this week were completed on Thursday’s flight to Houston. Once I encountered Claire’s miscarriage, I found it really difficult to push through that section. I thought Gabaldon handled a tragic event in any woman’s life with such grace that I didn’t want to rush through the storyline and savored the way she handled the text. I almost felt as though Claire’s grief as well as that felt by her husband could not be rushed. Now that I am in the ultimate battle scenes of the novel, the pace is picking up again and I *think* I will finish this Big Book of Summer this week. (At least, that’s the goal.)

What’s Coming Next?

I think I’m going to depart from my plan and insert a book that arrived last week from the Book of the Month club. The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram sounds very interesting. Two teens meet and fall in love during a summer trip. Fast forward to their adult lives, and the two former loves find themselves on opposing sides of a political campaign. It will definitely meet a need on my reading challenge since it was published in 2025. But first, I have to finish my current installment in the Outlander series and find out what happens to Claire and Jaime.

2025 Reading Challenge Big Book Summer Book of the Month historical romance The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
Jun 10

Morning Spent in the Service Center (June 10, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Good morning, fellow readers! I’m a day late on this post, but things have not necessarily gone as planned this week. A nagging cough led to a diagnosis of bronchitis brought on by allergy issues has me moving a little more slowly and breathing rather intentionally.

Last week, the check engine light popped on while driving into Memphis. An initial check at Auto Zone listed the problem as something with the exhaust system. Not something too difficult to fix and should be covered by warranty. So I called to schedule a service visit at the dealership. Only available appointment was this morning (Tuesday) at 7:30am. We all know how much I hated that option, but needed to get things fixed. So I’m spending the morning in the customer wait center — against the advice of the service consultant! — with my computer to get some work done and my copy of Dragonfly in Amber. We will just have to see which one gets finished first — my car or Dragonfly!

What I Finished This Week

The Modern Guide to Time Mastery by Morgan Ellis Stone. I finally made it through this short ebook this week. As I have continued to reflect on Stone’s work, I think there are a few issues that I immediately recognize. First, Stone simply offers a variety of time management techniques from various leaders in a single place. He does not present any new ideas. Second (and probably more annoying to this reader), the audience is not clearly defined. Stone addresses business leaders, creatives, and students throughout the book. Personally, I would much rather he focus on one audience and allow the others to examine the concepts and decide if the principles are applicable to them. It’s impossible to effectively be everything to everyone. Focus your writing, sir!

What I DNF’d This Week

Emma by Jane Austen. If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you have probably seen this one coming. After several weeks of trying to find my way into Austen’s Regency era society, I finally admitted to myself that this was just not going to happen. My interest was leading me elsewhere. I have to admit that DNFing this classic does upset me a bit. It makes me question my intelligence and ability. Even though I have moved on from these negative thoughts and returned to my reading life, I must admit that they do rear their head from time to time. With a few more classics on my TBR in the coming weeks, I’ll get a chance to restore my confidence in reading important works of literature….just not British literature. (That has long been my nemesis!)

What I Am Currently Reading

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 509 of 947). I really am enjoying this novel! Just over halfway through this first Big Book of Summer 2025, I am finding myself pulled into the drama of Parisian society as the exiled Scotsman plots to stop the attempt to overthrow the throne. Dragonfly is a perfect fit for me. Historical fiction with a hint of romance, intrigue, and political espionage. I’m in Heaven.

Uncertain How to Proceed….

Later this week, I will travel to Houston for the Texas Music Teachers’ Convention. This will be a busy time as I work the WBU recruitment table. I need to have some reading materials that I can jump in and out of without appearing as though people are interrupting me if they have questions. I’m not sure if I will take Dragonfly or something shorter that can possibly be completed during my travels to and from the conference. Maybe an ebook? I just don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I still have a few days to decide. Hmmm….decisions, decisions!

Big Book Summer classic fiction historical self-help

Leave a comment »
Jun 2

A Busy Start to Summer Break (June 2, 2025)

by kennithfreeman

Greetings from the Geriatric Ward! I arrived in eastern Arkansas Sunday afternoon and I am really looking forward to a slightly different pace for a few weeks.

This past week was busy in an unusual way. As you will recall, I was in Austin for the Memorial Day weekend to play for the Texas UIL Solo and Ensemble state contest. I returned to Plainview on Tuesday to begin packing up my apartment for summer. Somehow, I got the schedule wrong in my mind for the week. So Wednesday turned into a flurry of activity as I ran errands, cleaned, packed, and prepared to leave for Stillwater, Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Music Teachers’ Conference on Thursday. The conference was great and ran through Saturday afternoon. Rather than begin the drive home, I stayed the night in Oklahoma City and drove home on Sunday.

All of that to say that I was able to do some significant listening in my car, but not as much physical reading as I would have liked. I didn’t meet my finish goals for the week, but I’m very close to another finish. Let’s just take a look at where things stand at the moment.

What I Finished This Week

Beach Read by Emily Henry. This audiobook got me through many miles of driving this week. The story centers around two authors who hated each other in graduate school. When they find themselves living next door to each other, the old rivalry is reignited. In the heat of battle, the two issue a challenge to each other — she must write a story that doesn’t resolve everything in the end with a neat “happily ever after” tied up in a bow; he must write a romance with a happy ending. Henry’s writing is entertaining and filled with heart. Beach Read is about writer’s block, family difficulties, and the challenges of falling in love. 4 stars.

What I’m Currently Reading

The Modern Guide to Time Mastery by Morgan Ellis Stone (p. 133 of 148). I’m so close to another finish, but I couldn’t quite get there this week. I just have the final chapter and the epilogue to read, so it will definitely get done this week. Just another reminder that non-fiction is not my typical jam.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (p. 241 of 947). I’ve read another 100 pages this week. The slow pace is only because of the little amount of time I have been able to devote to the novel. Truthfully, most of the week’s progress has happened in the Geriatric Ward. I’m not worried about getting this done quickly now that I am in a position where I can regularly read. Not sure that I’ll get finished this week, but I anticipate sizable progress ahead.

Emma by Jane Austen (p. 116 of 335). My plan to make this the focus piece of the week fell by the wayside when I realized that I didn’t have as many days in Plainview as I thought. I plan to slowly work my way through the remaining 220 pages this week to get a finish. (Somehow, I remember this very point in the story being the challenge for me when was first assigned the novel in my undergraduate studies. Just have to push through!)

May in Review

May was not a good month in my reading life. I’m still ahead of schedule in my reading goal, but I have to have good months in June and July to get back on track with my reading. Here’s the shameful numbers to report for the month.

  • Books read in May: 3 books (down 2 books from April)
    • 1 physical
    • 1 ebook
    • 1 audio
    • 3 fiction
  • Pages read in May: 1,249 pages (down 87 pages from April)
  • Highest rated book: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (4 stars)
  • Lowest rated book: Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (1 star)

Plans for June

May clearly did not go as I had hoped, so I still have some loose ends to tie up there. I need to finish both Dragonfly in Amber and Emma. I was also scheduled to read The Summer We Started Over and Lady Chatterly’s Lover last month. For June, these are the new additions that I have slated to read:

  • A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
  • Moby Dick
  • The Quiet Librarian
  • Eruption

Thankfully, most of June’s novels are shorter than those I encountered in May. I hate to think about it, but it may be the month that I begin to reassess my plans for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge and pivot in order to reach my goal.

2025 Reading Challenge Big Book Summer classic ebook historical romance The 52 Book Club

Leave a comment »
Blog at WordPress.com.